We loved this intimate micro wedding in October along the cliffs of Acadia National Park, minutes from downtown Bar Harbor, Maine.
Ashley and Matt wanted a location on the cliffs that would give them the iconic Acadia ocean views while being accessible enough that all of their family members could attend the ceremony without difficulty or mobility concerns. Since everyone was staying nearby in Bar Harbor, they chose a beautiful spot on the Ocean Path where they could hold their sunrise wedding ceremony. A sweet wooded trail led to the ceremony location on the rocks, and they lined the path with lanterns for guests to find their way in the pre-dawn light.
One of the things we love about being Acadia wedding photographers is the chance to use our intimate knowledge of the park to help bring a couple’s vision to life. Brian met with them a few months before to walk through the location and their ceremony plans and to show them some other spots that would work for wedding photos after the ceremony. While talking through the other locations, they mentioned some of their other favorite paths and beaches in Acadia. Since one of them was just a short drive from the Ocean Path, we were able to create a 3-hour package that covered pre-ceremony, ceremony, wedding photos along the Ocean Path, and photos of the two of them at the other rocky beach location nearby.
It rained right up until an hour before sunrise, but the clouds held back for Ashley and Matt’s big morning. While they had originally planned on a sunrise ceremony, they shifted the time back a half hour to give their guests a little more time to get to the location.
The location was perfect for the weather, and the large and mostly flat rocks were still easily navigated despite being wet from the night before. The beautiful thing about rainy days in Acadia is that it creates even, rich lighting that makes colors more vibrant and reduces harsh shadows and glare. We LOVE overcast conditions!
After the ceremony we took advantage of the ocean and cliff views for family and group portraits, then Brian walked with the couple down the path for more dramatic wedding portraits along the ocean. It’s amazing how much you can pack into an hour along the cliffs!
As Brian was about to pack up and get ready to head to their next location, he noticed a rare opportunity - beautiful even light on a deserted Park Loop Road! This is a shot that we very rarely attempt because of how busy Park Loop Road is during peak season in Acadia, but since the rain was keeping everyone out of the park we were able to create some gorgeous portraits of the couple walking on the road.
A quick drive and we had yet another location to ourselves. A mossy path winding through the woods and over hand-hewn bridges brought us to one of our favorite spots on Mount Desert Island.
The Ocean Path and some surrounding corners of Acadia offer so many beautiful spots for a small Acadia wedding from easily accessible with classic views, to dramatic and steep cliffs that require a little scampering. Acadia National Park does limit the ceremony size to 30 people and requires a permit for 10 or more people, making it ideal for an elopement or micro wedding. If you’re thinking about a micro wedding or elopement in Acadia, reach out to talk about what kinds of locations and packages might work for you!
Thinking of planning your own national park wedding? Reach out to discuss the location and timing and package that might work for you!